I lived in San Francisco during the height of the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. It was a terrifying time full of despair, loss, and anger as we lost so many members of our community. I remember seeing the blood drive vans parked in the heart of the Castro, the city’s gay neighborhood, when gay men were turned away from donating blood to their own community in need.

It’s an outrage that this discriminatory ban is still in effect, and the recent tragedy in Orlando has served as an unfortunate catalyst to renew our push to lift it once and for all.

Please click here to petition the FDA to lift the blood ban.

Equality Federation is proud to partner with the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, the Progressive Change Institute, and the National Gay Blood Drive to put pressure on the FDA at this time.

Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are leading the effort in the Senate and Reps. Jared Polis (D-CO), Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Mike Quigley (D-IL) are leading the effort in the House.

Rep. Polis tells us, “The more people we have behind us, the stronger our hand will be as we urge the FDA to look at good science and finally lift the ban on blood donations from gay men — and screen based on behavior, not orientation.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) says, “We need blood donation policies that are based on individual risk factors, that don’t unfairly single out one group of individuals, and that allow all healthy Americans to donate.”

Sign the petition today — then please tell others.

Rebecca Isaacs

Executive Director